I do not remember the cakes at any of the showers that I went to. After reading the online literature about bridal shower cakes, I can understand why. An understanding hostess does not create a shower cake that might rival in size, color or beauty the cake that the guests will see at the wedding reception.

A future bride does not want to feel like she is “competing” with the hostess who is giving her a bridal shower. At the same time, a busy wedding-planning woman does not want to go to a shower with a less than tasty or with a not-so-eye-appealing cake. So what should the hostess look for in a bridal shower cake?

The bridal shower cake should contain quality ingredients. It should be decorated by qualified decorators, allowing it to stand out among all the gifts. Most of all, the bridal shower cake should be something that pleases the guest of honor, the future bride.

Usually a bridal shower cake contains a filling, most often a fruit filling. The hostess should learn what sort of filling would best agree with the taste buds of the guest of honor. The hostess thus needs to purchase her shower cake from a place that offers many choices in regard to the cake fillings.

The bridal shower cake should be a color that the guest of honor finds pleasing. It might have a decoration that matches with an interest or hobby of the future bride. I read about one bridal shower cake that had a frosting frog on its top. The future bride liked the idea of frogs as wedding cake toppers.

I thought that that was a strange creature to have on a bridal shower cake. As a biologist, I can remember dissecting a frog. Still, I saw a second cake with a small “drawing” of a frog in the frosting. The wording on the cake alluded to the challenge of finding the prince among so many “frogs.”

Present-day technology makes it possible to reproduce a photo on a bridal shower cake. A hostess might want to take advantage of that technology. A picture would usually fit well on a sheet cake. The hostess must of course determine what size she wants her cake to be. This theme can be exported over to the bridal shower centerpiece, which can then be tall votive candles with clip on photos of the bride to be. The possibilities are endless.

The shower is a time for conversation, so a shower should not have hundreds of guests. I will provide some figures for some sensibly sized showers. If a hostess has invited 16 to 24 guests, she needs a sheet cake that is roughly 9 inches by 12 inches. If she has invited 30 to 40 guests, she needs a sheet cake that is 11 inches by 15 inches.

Jen Carter is owner and operator of My Wedding Blog, offering free tips and advice for those planning a wedding.